U.S. Senate hopeful James Talarico drew from a familiar Texas football story while speaking to a packed auditorium on the University of Texas at Austin campus on Friday evening, five days after the start of early voting for the 2026 midterm elections.
The event was part of Talarico’s “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts” tour, a nod to the hit television show about a high school football coach in a fictional West Texas town.
“This time of year there is no better place to be than a high school football game,” said Talarico, a Democratic member of the Texas State House of Representatives whose district includes Austin and Pflugerville. “The band, the roar of the crowd, the chill in the air. No matter who you are or what you look like, everyone in town is there for the same reason… to root for the same team.”
He continued: “There is that moment in every game – the last play or the last drive – where you have to leave it all on the field. UT, we are in that moment.”
No Democrat has won a statewide contest in Texas in more than three decades, but polling indicates Talarico is in a tight race with his Republican opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
A University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll released last week showed Talarico up by 3 points. He has an 11-point advantage over Paxton when it comes to Latino voters, according to a University of Houston poll released today, though the same poll found that rural voters overwhelmingly prefer Paxton.
Paxton spoke at packed event spaces in the Houston area earlier this week and has since made his way to South Texas. On Friday, he was scheduled to host events in Laredo and in Selma. He plans to head back to Central Texas tomorrow, with stops planned in New Braunfels and Georgetown.
Talarico took to the stage at UT Austin’s Hogg Auditorium to reaffirm his commitment to addressing affordability, improving the public school system and lowering healthcare costs.
He was joined by several other local Democratic political figures including Pooja Sethi, who is running for Texas House District 47, and Austin City Council Member Zo Qadri, who is facing four opponents in his bid for re-election.
James Talarico takes selfies with supporters outside of a Whataburger in Austin, Texas on Oct. 23, 2026.
Madison Walker, a junior studying chemistry at UT, attended the rally with several of her friends on Friday night. She’d already cast her ballot but said she wanted to show her support.
“There are just so many different people here from so many different backgrounds, and I want to make sure that I am present to show that someone from my background and someone like me also believes in his message,” said Walker, who is Black and is originally from Mississippi.
The U.S. Senate race is not the only thing on the ballot for Austinites. They’ll also be voting for Texas Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and numerous other statewide offices. Depending on where they live, they may be casting ballots in one of five city council races. Many will also weigh in on a $295 million bond and eight city charter amendments.
Voters have been turning out to the polls in record numbers this week. Counties across the state, including Travis County, Harris County, and Bexar County, have reported record-breaking turnout. According to data from the Secretary of State, about 3 million people have voted in-person and by mail across Texas as of Friday.
In Travis County, where Austin is, more than 198,000 people have cast a ballot. That is about 21% of the county’s 952,00 registered voters, according to county data.
There is still time to cast a ballot. Early voting lasts through Oct. 30. Election Day is Nov. 3.